The science editor of The New York Times, suggested in a 1950 article of Popular Mechanics, that by next year, we’d just be able to hose down our houses.

He figured, that furniture would be made of synthetic fabric or waterproof plastic, and we’d just hit the clean button and the water would then run into a drain under the synthetic carpet, and into the sewer. Then, we’d turn on a blast of hot air to dry everything.

But still, you’d have to straighten up and put things away, before you clean, so what’s the point?